Peaceful Penmon Inspires a Deepening Faith

Peaceful Penmon
Priory Anglesey Inspires a Deepening Faith.

Seriol
monastery was founded in the 6th Century by St. Seriol in Penmon,
Anglesey, North Wales. It is set in a remote and peaceful part of the Island
with beautiful views. One of the oldest surviving buildings there is St.
Seriol’s Holy well. The well is thought to have healing powers and has been
visited down the centuries by pilgrims to take the “healing waters.”
The
present church building of Penmon Priory dates from the 12th Century
and is open to the public and still has an active congregation.
The well has crystal clear water from a
spring emerging from a cliff behind the church; the water was originally used
as the source of water for the monastery. It is likely that St. Seriol had his
“cell” next to the Holy well in the 6th Century.
I first
visited Penmon Priory in 2006 during a period of stress and uncertainty, now as
I look back in 2012 that visit was to lead to peace, healing, inspiration and a
deepening faith.
My
uncle a bachelor lived with his spinster sister; in 2006 she was then 100 years
old. He died in September 2006, leaving her determined not to go into a home.
After
my uncle’s funeral I went with my sister and brother-in-law to Anglesey that we
knew well. While I was there my mind was in turmoil over the issue of the care
of my aunt.
During
the visit we chanced upon Penmon Priory, discovering St. Seriol’s Holy well. I
dipped my hand in the crystal clear, cool water and made the sign of the cross
on my forehead. We sat for a while on stone seats in the small building that
encloses the well. We then walked the short distance to the church.
When we
entered the church we all remarked about the beauty and sense of peace within
it. I felt it especially in the room where you could leave prayer requests and
light candles.
As I
sat near the back of the church absorbing the peace I was struck by the most
beautiful stained glass window on my left. It depicts our Lord Jesus in the
boat on the Sea of Galilee with his faithful but fearful disciples around him.
Our Lord’s hand is raised and there are the words “Peace Be Still” beside him.
St. Seriol, the founder of the 6th Century monastery at Penmon is
also depicted beneath our Lord.
After
the visit to the Priory I began to contemplate the words of our Lord, “Peace Be
Still.”
During the rest of the visit my mind went from
turmoil and waking in the night to a sense of peace. I thought about letting go
of my own thoughts and fears, imagining the storm of my mind being calmed to a
millpond of peace, just as our Lord had calmed the stormy Sea of Galilee.
When I
returned home I felt guided to leave my own agenda and to go and care for my
aunt. I was sometimes able to go for an afternoon walk in a large park nearby.
During those walks I felt inspired to write a prayer, “Peace Be Still,” based
on my experience of the visit to the Holy well and the Priory church at Penmon.
After
my aunt’s death at the age of almost 102, I was inspired to write more prayers
on the trials and tribulations of life, the Holy Spirit and others based on the
Psalms into an eBook which I have titled, “Peace Be Still.” My period of
anguish and turmoil has turned into peace, healing and deepening faith.
I hope that after reading this you will
become another pilgrim and visit the church and take the “healing waters” of
the Holy well. I pray that whatever trial and tribulation you may be
experiencing you will find peace and healing through your visit.

David McDermott. March 2012.